Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat
Growing => Grow Your Own => Topic started by: coco on October 26, 2009, 22:59
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Hi
I've had a strawberry patch in my garden for about 8/10 years now, always had plenty of strawberries. I usually just put the runner back into the patch, and this way it seems to have done alright and survived and produced fruit.
However, this year there seems to be less actual plants and a lot of the ones in there have quite large bases .. which I'm guessing means they are old plants (?)
After all this time is it a good idea to dig the whole thing up and start afresh? I have quite a few runners which I could pot up and put into the new patch with fresh earth ..
I'm a keen amateur who has bits of allsorts in the garden so would appreciate any advice as I've been making it up as I went along all these years :)
xx
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Your plan sounds the best way to go.
They usually reckon to keep plants for 3 years, but you can squeeze a few more out of them., so after 8/10 years, they don't owe you anything!
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Ive just got rid of my old ones which were a good 3 years old and in tubs. Collected 80 runners and have planted them on the lotty.
Paul
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Every 5 years I find I have to pot up any good plants and simply refurbish the whole plot. Most people move them to a new location but I haven't the extra space. I go to the trouble to digging out larger weeds, picking out any weed root bits. Then I dump whatever I can to feed the soil: compost, old manure, peat (we have lots here), shredded leaves, bonemeal, then rotovate the lot. When its settled a bit, I trim the potted plants where needed and set them back out with a good watering. I also buy new plants to set in between to ensure I keep getting a good crop.
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OK thanks for your help
I will chuck all the old plants away and save the new runners and young plants and start again. I work at a stable yard so should be able to find some suitable manure :)
thanks
xx